Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) trips as he breaks for the goal against Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) in the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on Thursday, April 24, 2014, in Atlanta. The Hawks won 98-85. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) trips as he breaks for the goal against Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) in the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on Thursday, April 24, 2014, in Atlanta. The Hawks won 98-85. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Indiana Pacers forward David West (21) drives between Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver, left, and forward Paul Millsap (4) in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on Thursday, April 24, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap, foreground, and Indiana Pacers forward Luis Scola battle for a jump ball in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on Thursday, April 24, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Hawks guard Shelvin Mack (8) and Indiana Pacers center Ian Mahinmi battle for a rebound in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on Wednesday, April 24, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Indiana Pacers forward Luis Scola, left, argues with an official in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Thursday, April 24, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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ATLANTA (AP) â€” Jeff Teague flung in a wild 3-pointer after the officials appeared to miss him stepping out of bounds, and Kyle Korver finished off Indiana from beyond the arc to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 98-85 victory Thursday night and another lead in the series with the top-seeded Pacers.

Hardly playing like a No. 8 seed that finished six games under .500 during the regular season, the Hawks took control in the third quarter â€” the decisive period in all three games â€” and held off the Pacers to go up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.

The Hawks were up 84-78 with the shot clock running down when Teague launched a running shot from the wing â€” after his foot seemed to clip the line. It counted, even after a video review.

Korver clinched it with the last of his four treys, putting Atlanta up 92-80 with 1:41 remaining.

Teague scored 22 points and Korver added 20 to lead the Hawks, who are playing with confidence and swagger against an Indiana team that struggled down the stretch and is still scrambling to regain the form it showed much of the season.

Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 21 points, and Luis Scola added 17 in another stellar performance off the bench that at least gave Indiana hope. But Paul George was held to 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting, George Hill made only 1-of-11 from the field, and Roy Hibbert continually missed shots close to the hoop.

Teague made the biggest shot of all. Looking up to see the clock running down, he dribbled to his left and threw it up with Scola in his face. Nothing but net. Teague smiled and shrugged his shoulders on the way back down the court, as surprised as anyone that it went in.

The Hawks stunned the Pacers in Game 1 and led by as many as 11 in the first half of Game 2, before the Pacers finally looked like the top seed in the East with a dominant third quarter that evened the series.

This time, the Hawks gained the upper hand in the third â€” just as they did in the series opener. Korver knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner off a fast break, prompting the Pacers to call a timeout. They needed another after Teague soared for a thunderous dunk off an Indiana turnover, pushing Atlanta to a 10-point lead, matching its biggest of the game to that point.

The Hawks went to the final quarter riding a wave of momentum when Lou Williams stepped back and swished a 3 with just 1.2 seconds left in the third, pushing Atlanta ahead 67-58.

The first half was downright ugly. Both teams were sloppy with the ball and had trouble knocking down anything, which made it difficult to establish any sort of flow to the game. The Hawks shot just 30 percent (12 of 40) from the field and an especially dismal 2 of 16 beyond the 3-point arc, yet they were still up 39-38 lead at the break.

The Pacers were nearly as bad, hitting only 15 of 40 shots and reverting to the offensively challenged form that made them one of the shakiest-looking No. 1 seeds in recent memory.

Notes: The Hawks improved to 15-2 against Indiana at Philips Arena since December 2006. … Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field.